The Fall of an Emperor - I. The attack

Rath Sangahyando

The black-paved Rath Sanga continues its circuit around the western edge of Umbar. This area is residential, and from the looks of things it is a fairly poor section of the city--though, not quite \"slums.\"

The sky is clear and the sunlight shines brightly. The dawn summer air is very hot and dry around you. The moon is new.

Obvious exits:

Black Tower, SouthEast, and North

Black Tower

To the southwest stands a twisted iron gate. This gate is extremely tall and topped with razor-sharp barbs. Behind the gate can be seen a twisted black structure which could only be called Tower in the vaguest sense of the word. While small in height, the tower is wider than most in Umbar. Though not as tall, the tower\'s top is shrouded in darkness, and the breeze blows cooler here, and carries with it scents of danger.

[+TIME] Middle-earth time is:

Dawn on Mersday, Day 19 of July.

Execute the +TIMEFRAME command for year information.

Real time is: 16:09:09 MDT on Sun Mar 29 2009.

IC year: 3046

[Alphros(#31271)]

It is night, in Umbar a hot summer\'s night whereby the clouds shutter the heavens away, casting the world into darkness, while warm desert winds blow in through the east, assailing the walls of the City of Corsairs.

Umbar is lit by torch and lantern, as is its evening wont, but tonight there are also a hundred other torches, and more... A great host of crimson light that marches down the great street of Rath Sangahyando from the west. Banners fly above the Raven of Farside, and others, and at their fore is the personal standard of Lord Alphros, the Raven and the White Tree.

\"Victory for the Council!\" comes the cry, and a hundred others, as bright as the torches held aloft. \"Flame Tower is taken! Freedom for Umbar!\" And indeed there has been battle in the east, for many of the men and women who march towards the gates of Black Tower are stained by blood.

[Azradi(#20135)]

Clad crimson in armor and blood - none of it hers - rides Azradi anAzulada beside her brother. Her scimitar is sheathed for the moment. \"Let us hope Tower Black is easier,\" she comments to Alphros.

[Alimah(#24218)]

Blood marks the foot soldiers of Farside, as well, though many appear to be unwounded. Among the front ranks just behind the officers and their mounts can be found Alimah.

[Eruphel(#20109)]

Like a great serpent of light, a host descends also on Black Tower from the north. Armed with torches and swords, great beasts drag even greater weapons of war and seige, namely two catapults, which groan like overweight ladies dragged from their beds in the middle of the night. Also, in the midst of the crowd, and more to the fore, is a battering ram carried by a hundred or more men, each holding a looped strap that encircles a great log. Actually, it is several great logs. The host from seaward, perhaps in irony or poetic justice, have brought a ships mast to knock down the doors of Black tower.

At the fore, Eruphel, Lady-Claimant of Seaward, sits a white horse... \"Tonight is the end of tyranny! Tonight we restore the traditions of honor, the traditions of Umbar!\" she shouts to her host.

Men walk beside the two catapults - beast-handlers, captains to direct their passage and other there merely to push or pull as required. Amongst these latter is Barjad. There are two new additions to his wardrobe: around his waist a creased azure sash, faded and salt-stained, and hanging at his belt a battered-looking scimitar. There are empty sockets in the hilt where stones of some kind have been prized away, and the leather scabbard is scored and scuffed. One can only trust that the blade itself is in better order.

He glances ahead along the smoky streets to the point on the skyline where the fluttering banner where the White Tree hangs crimsoned by the torches\' glare, and swiftly averts his gaze.?

[Yussef(#19036)]

There also, standing out among the Seawarders on account of his attire, walks one of Farside\'s folk by the hues of his clothing and the devices arrayed on his shield: Yussef of hollow cheeks and humble stature, spear leaned on his shoulder, and an impassive mask set on his face. He throws a glance over his shoulder at the battering ram where men heave and strain to pull it forward.

\"Seaward for Umbar!\" The men cry in answer to Eruphel, their Captain or perhaps to the cries of Farside over yonder. They cry:

\"Seaward for Freedom!\"

[Alphros(#31271)]

\"Let us hope. A siege will be fruitless, but I pray that all the plans that have been laid will come to fruition--\" answers Alphros, a moment before an arrow arches through the sky to strike one of the Farside Crusaders behind him.

Ahead, soldiers of Black Tower emerge from the shadows, trapped outside the gates that have just now been shut and barred, whether by their own choice or unfortunate slowness.

[Eruphel(#20109)]

Eruphel\'s horse is all excited, and keeps dancing about, keeping the Corsairs rough hands busy. She turns about to address her host. \"These are our brothers, these men and women of black. Tomorrow, they will still be such. Keep this in mind. It is the Emperor who must concede, and all else will fall into place!\" Then to her men she says, \"Load the catapults, and ready the ram. I assume Lord Farside will want to speak to them, and if they answer with violence, we must be ready to answer in kind.

[Azradi(#20135)]

Though she appears to listen to her brother, Azradi\'s gaze is rapt on the scene before her. On sight of the unfortunate Black soldiers, she leans to her right and speaks to the Farside officer striding beside her. \"Give those soldiers quarter unless they resist. Disarm them and corral them to the north. Treat them with respect.\"

\"A siege will be ugly,\" she agrees, glancing briefly at her brother. \"Has Amgad gone east with the High Priestess, yet?\"

[Mirdanath(#16098)]      Proud and silent are the soldiers of House Sikkiyn as they march alongside their commander. They shout no jeers at the enemy or war cries in the name of their Tower or House, the rattle of their armour as they march and the sound of their foot falls are the only sounds these men emit this night. Each bears the emblem of their ancient House upon their shields and wield their distinctive black steeled scimitar as they make their way to battle.

Their Lord\'s son leads from the front as custom calls for and mirrors his own mens silence as he commands using only hand gestures. House Sikkiyn marches alongside the battering ram, using their shields to create as much of a protective shell as possible around the wooden device to protect the bearers of the seige machine from arrow fire.

Shouts erupt in response to Eruphel\'s commands, as the beast-handlers try to coerce their charges into moving the final few lengths into position. Then comes the pause whilst the animals are unhitched and moved out of the way - it would never do for a rogue mule to offset /these/ beauties - and men nudge the great contraptions into their resting place for this night.

Barjad moves toward a cart laden with heavy balls of stone, and with a grunt hefts one to place it into the sling hanging at the ready. Already others are straining at the winches. At Eruphel\'s admonition he mutters softly, \"Men will die this night. Why pretend otherwise?\" The sentiment does not appear to slow his efforts.

[Eruphel(#20109)]

\"I think what she means...\" says a voice near Barjad, \"is that there will be killing, but no raping nor pillaging if ye don\' mind.\"

[Alphros(#31271)]

A skirmish breaks out in the streets before the gates of Black Tower -- no great battle, though the Black Guard remnants, whether they fight a delaying tactic or otherwise, have defensive advantage of the shadows and buildings that line the approach to the Emperor\'s stronghold.

Charging forward, Alphros leads the plunge straight towards the gates. Lifting the shield by his side as arrows whizz from the rooftop of a nearby building.

But the Imperialists, though long expecting assault from the east, have not properly prepared for an assault from the north.

[Azradi(#20135)]

A mere heartbeat later, Azradi spurs her horse forward and joins Alphros\' charge. Lifting her shield protectively in likewise fashion, she shouts to whichever Farsider wishes to take the initiative. \"Get those archers off the roof!\"

[Eruphel(#20109)]

\"Hmm...\" Eruphel says to herself, as the lord of Farside goes sweeping in. \"Well, I guess that\'s it! Fire the catapults, and aim for the archers! Battering ram forward!\" Eruphel raises her sword in the air in all the excitement, swinging it about, then points it at the great dark tower. With that, the host from the north surge forward.

[Yussef(#19036)]

\"As few as possible eh, m\'boy?\" One other tells Barjad the note grim despite its sentiment. \"Let\'s give \'em a volley!\"

At Eruphel\'s command The Serpent -- the great ram as it must be named at the behest of the Gimilzain or some such, for at its fore one of their numbers bellows: \"Serpent ready!\" even as battle is given under the gates of Black -- slow with the shuffle of many feet, and a hundred shields join those of Silent Sikkiyn over its not too fragile length save it\'s ironclad head, which rises as a hundred hands shift their grip on the leather straps by which it is borne.

And it lowers, swinging back slowly.

And so, then, The Serpent lounges forward.

[Alimah(#24218)]

From the Farside foot soldiers following behind Alphros and his sister come answering arrows from the few that have bows, arrows aimed toward the archers on the roof.

Barjad glances over to the man who had spoken to him. \"Ah.\" The sounds of fighting reach his ears, and automatically his head turns that way. \"Did she tell /them/ that?\" His hand automatically reaches to loosen his scimitar in its scabbard - just in case.

The two great catapults are both at the ready now, awaiting Eruphel\'s order to loose their load upon the walls of Black. And then that order comes. There is a moment\'s hesitation - after all, these great machines have been set up in haste, with no time for a test firing - but then one great arm at least goes soaring skyward, its heavy burden loosed into the air. From the look of it, the ball will pass clear over the street below with ease.

At the other catapult, men stare dubiously at the walls, the ram, and murmur amongst themselves.

[Mirag(#31700)] And then there is a creaking and the gates of Black Tower begin to ease open, slowly, inch by inch.

[Mirag(#31700)] And behind the gates, a willowy woman with a long black braid down her back emerges. She has a slight bemused look on her face and behind her are several guards of Black Tower. There is a pause for a moment and she reaches into the bosom of her black down, removing a white handkerchief, which she waves over her head.

[Alphros(#31271)]

As the hosts of Farside are embroiled in the east while the siege machinery of Seaward moves forward to begin its assaults from the north, Alphros lifts his Numenorean steel blade overhead with a cry: \"Forward! To the gates!\" For he has seen that white hankerchief. And then a slash at one Black Guardsman who emerges from the shadows to slice at his steed.

And indeed, the van of Farside about the Lord pushes forward as hastily as it can, amidst cunning ambush and falling arrow, towards the gates as they slowly creak inwards. Straining through the din of battle, he shouts towards Eruphel and the Seaward command as loudly as he can: \"Seaward! Aim for the archers atop the walls with your war-weapons!\"

[Yussef(#19036)]

\"Parley!\" Someone cries out under the gates of black.

\"Parlay!\"

[Eruphel(#20109)]

\"Quickly, quickly! Wedge that ram into the...\" Eruphel is almost surprised as the single woman emerges from the gate. \"Advance through the gate! Watch the murder holes! Move!\" she shouts once again. \"Catapults, aim for the archers! Reload and adjust your aim, fire at will!\"

[Azradi(#20135)]

Azradi does not see the little white handkerchief. She is busy ensuring none try to flank her brother. Her scimitar is drawn and flashing in the torch light, eerily red. She does not see the makeshift flag, no - but she does here the plea for parley. She glances towards the gate, and then to her brother. \"They call for parley, Alphros!\" she shouts, unsure whether he has become aware of this.

A bloody sword sweeps towards her and she parries it mere inches from her shoulder. She pushes forward.

Even before Eruphel\'s latest command rings out, the men at the second catapult are scurrying. A second, lighter ball is loaded, the winching adjusted and then this missile follows the first, less devastating but one hopes more accurate.

Barjad\'s broad shoulders strain as he brings up the next of the balls. \"What is it they shout?\" he asks one of the men, brows furrowed as distorted fragments of speech from the battle ahead float back on the smoke-scented wind.

[Mirdanath(#16098)]      As the order is given to attack and the hundred shields come to support the ram, the Mirdanath motions for his men to break off from the turtle formation and clear a path for the ram. Their silence is maintained despite the fact that arrows have alreadyed claimed the lives of several of House Sikkiyn\'s men.

The man advance slowly now, their Heir at the lead, as they approach the old hankerchief wielding lady. The man of Seaward looks for a moment upon the women before finally speaks. \"I will inform the Lady-Claimant.\" Making a motion with a closed fist, Mirdanath\'s command halts his men\'s advance and now they form a barrier between the still advancing soldiers of Farside and Seaward and the Black company.

He then whispers something to one of his men who runs of towards Eruphel. \"Black seeks Parley! Will Seaward speak to it?!\"

[Mirag(#31700)] \"Really, Lord Alphros, if you wanted to come in for a cup of tea, you needed only to ask,\" the willowy woman\'s words are said through cupped hands and she looks surprisingly at home with the battle around her.

[Mirdanath(#16098)]      Meanwhile some amongst the soldiers of Seaward speak back and forth of the commands of Alphros. \"Just who does he think he is? Telling /us/ where to aim /our/ catapults. Its like he thinks hes the Lord of Seaward as well as Farside. He better get his thoughts straightened out or .....theres gunna be trouble.\"

A few mumbles then follow from the surrouds, the majority voicing their agreement with \'Ayes\'.

[Eruphel(#20109)]

Eruphel looks down at Mirdanath from her horse, and smiles. \"Seaward will. But we must also have Farside. Come...\" She spurs her horse to the gate at a walk, dismounting at the very last. She holds her own horse by the head though. \"You are the new Steward, I repsume?\"

[Yussef(#19036)]

Notably, the ram grinds to a halt.

\"What is the meaning of this!\" One gruff voice -- one of the bearers -- demands angrily.

Another says: \"What does that boy think he\'s doing?\"

[Alphros(#31271)]

\"It is not parley,\" Alphros answers Azradi, \"But the Steward of Black, who has been in secret communion with the Council. The Emperor and his supporters will still await us with blades and other devilries within, but she has ensured that the gates will be open.\"

And with that, Alphros is before the hankerchief-wielding Mirag herself, dismounting. \"My lady, I had prayed that you would be successful-- and I see that you are. Quickly, we must within to press on.\" He glances over his shoulder to see if the captains of Seaward are near.

[Alphros(#31271)]

Another soldier amongst the masses idly points out to the grumblers: \"In the absence of a Lord Captain of the City, Lord Alphros is the actin\' commander-in-chief of the Council someone\'s needs to be coordinatin\' a war!\"

The teams at the catapults have continued their fire, with the smaller balls. Some find targets atop the walls, judging by the screams, some sail clear and one - most worryingly - ricochets off the slick stones of Black\'s outer walls and down into the melee of Black Guard and Farsiders that eddies this way and that in the street below.

At the sight of the Lady-Claimant herself standing beneath those very walls, the vengeful arms of wood come to a creaking halt.

[Mirag(#31700)] The willowy woman smiles and then steps aside. \"The Black Paladins came in through the back gate the High Priestess\'s parting gift, I understand. Please do come by for tea and cake then things are less....violent around here.\"

[Azradi(#20135)]

Looking a bit bemused, Azradi shakes her head and dismounts. With scimitar still drawn but lowered, she moves to stand by her brother\'s side. She glances sharply when the Black Steward mentions Paladins.

[Alphros(#31271)]

The Lord of Farside realises that it is the Captain of the Saqrwa\'il who also stands before the Lady Steward of Black, and though one cannot see his face behind the veil that garbs it, one might get the impression of an arched eyebrow. \"Captain Su\'ad, you have made it,\" he notes straightforwardly. \"Can your ram force the gates open to permit the entry for the rest of our host?\"

Then to Mirag: \"To tea and cake, then. I must remember to send my thanks to the High Priestess for when she arrives at the Dark Lands.\" And with that, he slips within

[Mirdanath(#16098)]      Motioning with his fist once more in a circular ring, the Household soldiers of Sikkiyn surround the Lady-Claimant with their shield raised but their blades lowered for now. \"As you command my Lady.\" Mirdanath then speaks before following her on foot, the nobleman still abiding to the peace time rules of the City.

[Yussef(#19036)]

\"Cap\'n!\"

Yussef comes presently to Eruphel\'s side shield torn, his spear shortened by a foot and a half, the wooden shaft stained sickly red about the splintered end. His black tresses fall clingy about his face, his glance astir and widened, excitement gleaming in it.

Alphros\' query is timely.

\"Heave to!\"

The Serpent presses on, inward.

[Azradi(#20135)]

With a wink and wry smile for Su\'ad, Azradi turns to follow her brother into the Black Tower grounds.

As the focus of the fighting moves elsewhere, the catapults still, and some of those who had been manning them, Barjad amongst them, slip away to aid those of Farside subduing the last remnants of Black\'s guard on the streets. Others remain to stand watch by the great machines. The two mighty arms remain pointed skyward, gargantuan sentinels silhouetted against the crimsoned sky, witness to the blood spilled and yet to be spilled on this night of wrath.

[Eruphel(#20109)]

\"Lord Alphros,\" the woman of Seaward greets. \"I go by my true name now, Eruphel, daughter of Mazrakhor, Serpent of Umbar.\" And right on cue, the ram named \"serpent\" presses in. \"I have claimed my father\'s throne.\" To the others, Yussef and Mirdanath in particular, she says, \"Follow him in. We must secure the tower, and find the Emperor!\"

[Alphros(#31271)]

Alphros pauses on the threshold as he hears this. \"Huh,\" he notes, and then disappears within along with the others.

Alphros passes through the twisted iron gate and approaches the menacing Black Tower.

[Mirag(#31700)] \"I\'m afraid,\" the willowy woman says from her position just far enough from the gate, \"that you will find that the Emperor and his family managed to escape during the night. There are many loyal to him still within the Tower though and I will be grateful to you for the help.\"